Learning Matters

We're delighted to bring the Learning Lab community a new set of resources, the Collective Action collection, developed by the iDesign Team in USAID's Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning. Collective Action is an intentional and agreed-upon process that engages interested parties to take joint actions in support of shared objectives or a shared issue.

How, exactly, is Collective Action different from, or a complement to, other collaborative approaches? In two introductory blogs, Collective Action is described in the context of shifting power to local actors and in how it relates to USAID's Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Framework.

With Collective Action situated as a unique method - one of many - to implement the CLA Framework and support localization and inclusive development, we recommend diving into the collection resources. Two guides for USAID Missions and facilitators and a series of case studies offer practical steps to start utilizing the Collective Action approach.

Lastly, each month, a new blog will be published to Learning Lab by a guest author, exploring different angles on the topic and what it means to implement a Collective Action approach in development programming.

• Two authors shared a blog describing how USAID's Digital Strategy Team uses Key Issue Narratives for learning and engagement.
• Social Impact's Monalisa Salib presented a template created to capture wisdom from departing staff at USAID/Vietnam.
• USAID's Agency Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning (KMOL) Team produced a report on how development organizations are integrating local knowledge into their programs.